Community Needs To Show Support For Crimestop At Drawdown Party

December 7, 1986|By Frank Ross

On Dec. 13, the Kissimmee Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a race that is important to every member of this community. Its success will demonstrate our attitudes toward the increasing crime rate and create an opportunity to have a positive impact on the quality of life in our county. Proceeds from this race and other events scheduled for the drawdown party at the lakefront will be used to fund Crimestop, which provides rewards for anonymous information on unsolved felony crimes. Chris Bell and his committee have done a tremendous job organizing this event and so have the many businesses and community leaders who are assisting.

The community now needs to demonstrate its support and participate.

The greatest challenge will be to the law enforcement and the news media. These two elements of our community play a very significant role in the Crimestop effort. The Crimestop committee already has demonstrated its enthusiasm and interest and now it is our responsibility in the law enforcement community and the news media community to involve ourselves.

Therefore, I am issuing a challenge to the Osceola County Sheriff's Department and the St. Cloud Police Department to join with the Kissimmee Police Department to compete in this race. I also challenge the Osceola Sentinel to have equal representation in the race and encourage the reporters to leave their air-conditioned offices and cover this very special news event at the scene of the crime. The best possible coverage you could receive is to participate in the race and I would expect reporters to conduct their interviews during the 3-mile run.

I am sure that Sheriff Bob Fornes, Chief E.L. Eunice and yours truly will be very willing to give an interview to any of your reporters en route to the finish line.

That is, if you can pull them away from the typewriters, telephones and air-conditioned offices. Incidentally, the Kissimmee Police Department will be well represented in this race and I am sure that we will have the first law enforcement officer to cross the finish line. I am issuing a personal challenge to the editor to run alongside me so that we can truly demonstrate our support for the hard work of our Crimestop committee.

I would like to further challenge each civic group in this community to be represented in this race to put the criminal element on notice that crime will not be tolerated in Osceola County. This is an opportunity for each of us to contribute and to enhance the quality of life in our community.

Please become involved and make your community a better place to live while enjoying some fun and fellowship in the process. I hope to see you on Saturday, Dec. 13, to enjoy a fun-filled day.